🔗 Share this article

As stated by skipper the England captain, the national team were handed a brutal "reality check" as the Kangaroos clinched the coveted Ashes trophy.

The Kangaroos' decisive 14-4 win at the stadium in Liverpool on the weekend gave them a commanding series edge, making the upcoming final match in Leeds a dead rubber.

The England team had entered the series harbouring hopes of sending the Kangaroos to their first Ashes series defeat since the 1970s.

Over the last 24 months, they had secured a 3-0 series win over the Tongan side and a 2-0 triumph over Samoa. But as the Rugby League Ashes returned after a long break, the English were failed to take the next step against the world champions.

"We take full responsibility. We've had enough sessions to perform correctly on the field, and it's clear we've quite done that," Williams told.

"Full marks to the Kangaroos. They were excellent defensively. But there's plenty to work on. We're probably not as prepared as we believed we were going into this series.

"This serves as a good lesson for us, and [there is] loads to improve on."

The Kangaroos 'Arrive and Are Merciless'

After being heavily outplayed in an mistake-ridden performance at the national stadium, Wane side's were markedly enhanced on the weekend back in the rugby league heartlands of northern England.

In a rousing initial stages, the home side forced mistakes from the Kangaroos and had dominant territory and possession, but importantly did not convert opportunities on the points tally.

Notably, the English team have now managed just one score over 160 minutes, with player the forward barging over late on in the setback in the capital.

In contrast, Australia have racked up half a dozen so far - and when mistakes began to affect the hosts' play just after the interval, it was a case of certainty, they were going to be severely punished.

Initially the playmaker scored, and then so too did Hudson Young. From being level at four-all, the home side were trailing by 10.

"Satisfied for the majority of the game. In my view for 70 minutes we were solid," said Wane.

"The drop in intensity for 10 minutes after the break damaged us greatly. Munster's try was avoidable and should not be scored in a international fixture.

"The team is devastated. So proud the players had a fight but so disappointed with that second-half lapse, which hurt us heavily."

While the next World Cup in Oceania is just under 12 months away, England's primary concern will be on attempting to salvage honor, preventing a clean sweep and addressing the mistakes that irritated Wane.

"I hoped to see additional intensity directed toward the opposition. My aim was us to apply sustained attack in the game - we didn't do that last week," added the veteran coach.

"We managed this week. It's just a minor refinements in our attack where we could have put them under more pressure. We need to defend both [tries] more effectively.

"Fair play to the Kangaroos - that is not a criticism to them. They turn up and are ruthless when they capitalize, and we weren't, but in defense we can and should do improve.

"They will be obsessed to win 3-0 and we need to be obsessed to make it 2-1. I've told that to the squad. It has to be our primary goal. It's going to be a tough week but the side that desires it the most will secure victory next week."

Intensity Needs to Improve in Super League

England have participated in a comparable number of international fixtures to Australia since the last World Cup in recent years.

Yet Wane thinks that the quality of the NRL - and standard of the domestic rivalry matches between New South Wales and Queensland - provide a much better foundation for competing at the top of the international game than what is on offer in the UK.

Wane added that the packed domestic league calendar left no time for him to work with his players during the season, which will only pose more issues around how England can close the divide to the Kangaroos before travelling to Oceania in the next World Cup.

"They play a large number of Test matches in their league," he remarked.

"England have ten to fifteen a year. It's crucial really intense games to improve the competition and improve our chances of winning these high-stakes fixtures.

"I couldn't even practice with the squad. We never got on the field in the campaign and despite having the total cooperation of everyone in Super League.

"I have also been in the position of the head coaches that need to win games. The competition is that tight. It's a pity but it's not the cause we were defeated today."